TRANSCRIPT - ABC NEWS 24 AFTERNOON LIVE WITH GREG JENNETT

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

ABC NEWS 24 AFTERNOON LIVE

22 JUNE 2023

GREG JENNETT: Let's bring in Liberal frontbencher and Manager of Opposition Business in the House, Paul Fletcher, a regular on the programme towards the end of Parliamentary sittings. welcome back. You might have been across that commendation of debate in the Senate but in the house, the notable beach of questions this week has been about the Voice, in fact you had a matter of public importance debate on it a few moments ago. You made Linda Burney a target often seeking to align her with Voice campaigner Thomas Mayo, are you trying to divide and conquer between these disparate arms of the campaign?

PAUL FLETCHER: The Government is proposing a significant constitutional change that would double as the new body, or we have been seeking to do is use the Parliamentary process cigars much information as process about it would work and naturally enough, we have asked most of our questions of the responsible portfolio minister Linda Burney, that has gone to questions about the example what are the scope of the matters on which the Voice could make representations to provide advice to parliament. Linda Burney told the parliament this week that the Voice would not be providing advice in relation to Australia Day. In fact, in respect of constitutional experts like Anne Twomey in the Australian today making the point that essentially, the scope of what the voice and make representations on is determined by that section, subsection two of the proposal provision and will be a matter for the High Court, not the parliament to determine the breath of what the Voice makes representations on. In the broad can make presentations on whatever it chooses.

GREG JENNETT: I understand the pursuit of that legal clarity or certainty if you like, but holding a minister responsible for comments given by an unelected free citizen in effect, Thomas Mayo is only one of them. What is the tactic behind that? They aren't in any way responsible, or Linda Burney in particular is not responsible for those individuals and other arms of the yes campaign might do or say?

PAUL FLETCHER: The key point is Thomas Mayo sits on the referendum working group, Minister Burney appoints the working group and so we have asked a number of questions about statements made by Thomas Mayo suggest he at least sees the Voice as part of a pretty radical agenda and it is about understanding whether the point of view that Mr Mayo is putting is a point of view shared by the minister and if it was known by the Minister when she appointed him. We have had the Prime Minister at various points describing this as a modest change, we had for example Professor Megan Davis saying at the Voice it could make presentations to the Reserve Bank and we asked a question about that today. What we are trying to do is to understand from the Government with the changes it is proposing at the Australian people need to make a decision on, how exactly is this going to work and essentially what is being revealed is a government either doesn't know or doesn't want to tell the Australian people a lot of the aspects of how the Voice impact will work and quite expressly, what they are saying is the details are only going to be designed and legislated after the Australian people vote on the constitutional change.

GREG JENNETT: That is their argument and we spoken before about your own intentions, what being opposed to the Voice may entail for you as a member, you are entering the winter break, the constitutional alteration bill is through and there is no further role for the parliament really on that side. Are you any clearer about the way you are conducting yourself? You seemed entirely noncommittal last time we spoke about how active you would be, what are you opposing and how will you express it?

PAUL FLETCHER: I've been clear that as a member of the Liberal Party and a member of the Shadow cabinet I support the Liberal party's decision. I make the point that there are over 17 million Australians on the electoral roll, every one of those Australians including my constituents in Bradfield has a vote with no more or less than mine. Certainly I see an important role for members of Parliament in informing Australians about the choice they now need to make and indeed in the Liberal Party we see that as an important part of the role and we happen seeking to do that this week in the parliament, I might point out that Peter Dutton in his contribution matter of public importance debate today, our leader again reiterated that the risk here is that the Prime Minister's lack of willingness to engage on the wording risks the outcome of the referendum not being unifying moment that we would want and the unifying moment that was achieved in 1967 but a divisive moment. Peter Dutton has called on the Prime Minister again to engage with him and the Opposition in terms of the wording.

GREG JENNETT: It's probably a bit late for that, the bill has a ready copy but since you according Peter Dutton, do you agree, this is what is at in a radio interview today, the Voice is the biggest con job going?

PAUL FLETCHER: I think the the point that it was making there and we have been consistent in making in the week questions we have been asking this week is to highlight the need for detail if we are asking people to vote for what will be a very significant change to the constitution, how will it work and what are the details. This is the Australian Parliament doing exactly what it should be doing as elected representatives, the Opposition asking questions of the Prime Minister, of the Minister for Indigenous Australians, explaining to us and through us more importantly to the Australian people how will this work.

GREG JENNETT: You have definitely done that. Lets move on, double dissolution election talk obviously revolving around housing is surely a Future Fund. Do you actually believe that the Government is keen to accumulate this potential trigger and would you be prepared for an early, earlier than normal election along those lines?

PAUL FLETCHER: I'm now somewhat to my surprise in my 14th year of Parliament. At this stage of the term it is not at all uncommon for governments of either political persuasion to be starting to accumulate double dissolution triggers, sometimes as a strategy and sometimes it's just the reality of the bill you have taken to the Senate being knocked back. As I understand it, from I think early August next year, the Prime Minister can call an election if he has a trigger to hand. That will be a matter for the Government.

GREG JENNETT: But are you and the Liberal Party more broadly preparing for it?

PAUL FLETCHER: You always need to assume or prepare as the Opposition, it is the Prime Minister of the day who chooses when an election is called and you need to factor into your thinking, the range of all likely scenarios. Is there a scenario that the Prime Minister chooses to call an election earlier than May 2025? Absolutely there is that scenario and would be irresponsible if you want at least contemplating it and planning for it.

GREG JENNETT: Well they will be bringing the Housing Australia super fund back to the reps I imagine if that is their intention to accumulate the trigger. As we bookend at this interview with the moment in the Senate involving attempted censure of Katy Gallagher are of course none of this fortnight was without cost to the Liberal Party either. David Van, should he quit the parliament now that he has quit the Liberal Party?

PAUL FLETCHER: Well once they were serious and credible allegations from a number of people about conduct on the part of Senator David Van, Peter Dutton as leader of the Liberal Party moved quickly to say he will no longer be able to sit in the Liberal Party room and Peter has also said that in his view, that Senator Van should resign from the parliament and seek the help that he needs. I think that is a good statement of what would be the best way forward for Senator Van and indeed in the discharge of the responsibility in representing the people of Victoria.

GREG JENNETT: Any communications that suggest he may heed it? I don't have anything to add, suddenly I'm not aware of any update.

PAUL FLETCHER: Always good to pick over the events of weeks and four nights of sitting, good to see you again. Thank you for joining us